Endearing Observation
by pleasesayitsnotso
Summary: Natasha arrives home early from a mission, to find Steve up and avidly rehearsing an important speech, however intrigue gets the best of her as she stands back and observes.


_"__When I see you the World stops. It stops and all that exists for me is you and my eyes staring at you. There's nothing else. No noise, no other people, no thoughts or worries, no yesterday, no tomorrow. The World just stops and it is a beautiful place and there is only you. Just you, and my eyes staring at you."_

—_James Frey_

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><p>Arriving a day early from her mission, Natasha padded quietly into Steve's apartment in the early hours expecting the soldier to be sleeping peacefully however upon entering she noticed a stream of light spilling across the living room floor. The source was clearly their bedroom and so, continuing her softness of foot, she made her way towards the door where her weary body was immediately warmed and invigorated by the sight of Steve pacing up and down. In his hand he held a rather worn piece of paper, on which she could make out the swirly vintage scribbling of Steve's handwriting, which included a large amount of crossing out and alterations. His beautiful deep blue eyes, bore into the parchment, his eyes flickering from side to side as he studied it before an exasperated sigh interrupted his intent stare. Raking his fingers through his hair, his head lolled back and his eyes closed momentarily, simultaneously an aggravated groan escaped his lips as he halted his incessant marching. Natasha's curiosity had gotten the better of her; a characteristic which she thought made her so good at her job, and so in accordance with Steve's obliviousness to her presence she observed him further, intrigued by the contents of his piece of paper and the reason for him to be up at this ungodly hour. At that thought the soft silence that had encapsulated the room fell away to allow the deep soothing voice of the soldier to break through,<p>

"If I were to tell the Steve of old that I was to awaken to the 21st century, that I was fight against extraterrestrial life forms, he would never believe me. If I was to tell him I would meet a woman, with beautiful crimson locks that could make all this bearable, that would make everything make sense. I think he would call me a mad man..." Steve glanced down at his piece of paper; a slight wince contorted his features as he deeply contemplated the words within his speech. Natasha remained still, entranced by the purpose of this speech and of the eloquent words that made her heart beat faster. After a moment of contemplation, Steve muttered quietly to himself,

"I think... yeah that bit is fine..." Before looking up again and commencing onwards with his pacing and recital,

"But it's the truth. Natasha, you make the crazy world that is now and the insane life that is mine, make sense, and that in itself is a gift. But you also made a man who thought he could never find love again..." Pausing he looked out the window, his eyes indulging in the silver embellishment of stars, allowing himself to be consumed by the moment and the surge of heat that permeated from his heart as he felt all the love and affection he holds for the red headed spy flood into every cell in his body,

"I love you." He softly uttered, however the strength of this statement pulled him from his musing as his hand drifted to his pocket pulling out a small black box,

"Natalia Alianovna Romanova, will you..." As Steve slowly started to descend onto one knee, Natasha had managed to pull herself from the overwhelming feelings that now bombarded her, and decided that she had to intervene before she ruined what he had been planning further. Her voice remained calm, but held the tone of affection she always saved for him,

"Nice speech." Steve's head whipped round in utter shock as he wrenched himself upright, his lips remained slightly ajar and his eyebrows were raised high on his forehead, he observed her closely, looking for any signs that she was either going to leave or hit him. Instead her body was relaxed, as she leant against the doorway, her features were serene and her rich scarlet lips held an enamoured smile which relaxed him slightly. Worriedly, he eventually managed to respond,

"How much of that did you hear?" His hands now nervously toyed with the piece of paper he held in his hands, shuffling it between his fingers as his gaze remained downcast, afraid to meet her steely olive orbs that held so much power over him. Her smile broadened further causing her cheeks to ascend delightfully, and two adorable dimples to appear as she replied tenderly,

"Enough." At that his shoulders slumped, and the piece of paper he had held so tight now fluttered disappointingly to the floor, before he pulled his hands up to his face in despair, inwardly cursing himself for not being more aware of her presence and his surprising inability to conduct the perfect proposal. A fact Sam had mentioned more than once, he could conjure up a clear cut speech addressing thousands of people whilst fighting Hydra, but couldn't construct the perfect proposal speech for one woman amused his friend greatly. Consumed by embarrassment, fear and annoyance it wasn't until he felt two petite hands gently encircle his wrists, tugging them away from his face, that he finally bestowed his attention back onto Natasha. His shoulders remained slumped and his head remained bowed; however he felt his heart lighten as Natasha remained close to him, before she released his wrists and cupped his face in her hands, her thumb stroking softly along his jaw line. Her voice exuded care and fondness as she gently addressed him,

"May I hear all of it?" His eyes finally moved from the floor as they met her adoring gaze, causing his features to soften and an endearing smile to adorn his lips before he asked,

"Really?" Hope exuded from every ounce of Steve, as his eyes widened in apprehension and excitement. Confidently Natasha mirrored his question as her answer,

"Really." Removing her hands from his face, he quickly grabbed the piece of paper from the floor before identifying where he had gone off course and returned his attentions back on her,

"You also made a man who thought he could never find love again have someone to believe in, someone to fight for, because losing everything is enough to make any man give up... super soldier or not. You saved me when I didn't even know I needed to be, you brought me back from the dark uncertainty that clouded my life, and I can never thank you enough for that. But I'd like to spend the rest of my life trying, so Natalia Alianovna Romanova..." He had dropped the piece of paper long ago, the moment occurring causing him to stride confidently through his declamation of love without guidance, and despite Natasha's composed manner he could see her eyes now held a glassy sheen as he gracefully lowered himself onto one knee. His hand procured the little black box as he glanced up at her before uttering the words he had so yearned to say,

"Will you marry me?" Natasha neither moved nor replied, but stood still observing the beautiful expectancy that remained plastered upon his handsome features, absorbing the details of this moment. A moment she never thought would happen to her, and one she wanted to relive forever, as the silence continued to draw out she noticed how Steve was starting to look slightly uncomfortable as his lips remained pursed and now slanted to one side in nervous apprehension. Stepping forward she bent down cupping his face in her hands before planting a chaste kiss to his lips, however she lingered close to his face, their noses nearly touching as she whispered,

"Yes." A pleased smile broke out across his face as he rose to standing, wrapping his arms around her tightly in an impassioned embrace of pure relief, as her arms slipped around his neck clutching him close to her, his face buried into her neck, he revelled in the warmth of her skin and the perfection of her answer. Pulling back slightly to observe her he let a sigh escape his lips, as through a relieved smile he asked,

"Did you really have to pause and let me wait that long? I mean... you had me worried." An amused chuckle escaped Natasha's lips as her fingers strummed along the large expanse of his muscular chest as his arms remained comfortably around her waist,

"I just wanted to enjoy the moment... and talking of waiting isn't there a ring with this deal?" Her trademark smirk teased across her lips, in the manner that drove Steve crazy. His eyes widened and his mouth formed an o, as in his haste to hold her he realised he had dropped said ring on the floor. Identifying the black box to be at his feet he grabbed it before addressing her attentively,

"May I?" A fond smile now seemed to permanently adorn Natasha's lips, something that was an incredibly rare occurrence, as she nodded in response. Gently holding her left hand in his he removed the exquisite ring from the box and slid it delicately along her fourth finger before pausing to observe it admirably. Natasha's voice came out calm and courteous, as she uttered the one word that encapsulated the moment completely,

"Perfect." Holding her face in his hands he pressed a tender kiss to her forehead, in affirmation and appreciation for the woman who was to be his wife. Awakening to the modern age Steve had thought that the concept of happiness was lost forever, a distant notion of the past, that he would continue his life existing rather than living. On meeting a woman who shared this desolate outlook they found the promise for a tomorrow worth fighting for, worth living for. **They were now not only to exist but to indulge in the beloved occupation of being in each other's lives, and both could not wish for anything better.**


End file.
